Toy aeroplane



E. F. LONERGAN.

TOY AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1:. 1918.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l VENTOR A TTORNEYS WIT/V SE8 Z124 E. F.ILON ERGAN.

TOY AEHOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1911;.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

3 SHEET SHEET 2.

INVENTOR [dad/"d [loner an,

.4 i TORNEYS E. F. LONERGAN.

TOY AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. II. mu.

1 ,3 1 5,606. Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnwann r. LONERGAN, or MILLBURN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR or onrrnsnr T0 nanmn'r r. stoves, or snoar HILLS, new JERSEY.

ror AEROILANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

Application filed October 11, 1918. Serial No. 257,702.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. LoNnReAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Millburn, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Toy Aeroplane, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to aerial toys propelled by a propeller turned by a spring motor. v

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved toy aeroplane more especially designed to simulate or represent a modern battle plane. Another ob1ect is to provide a toy aeroplane which is simple and durable in construction and one that can be cheaply manufactured and placed on the market at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features f construction as hereinafter shown and despeci'fically pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 18 a longitudinal central section of the toy aeroplane;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one of the lifting sustaining planes and its aileron, the section being on the line H 0 ig- 4 Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the preferred form of spring motor with the front wall of the fuselage shown in section;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of the tov aeroplane'on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

.Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section of part of the same on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the tail portion of the toy aeroplane with part broken out;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section of the. same on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is anenlarged'sectional plan view of part of one of thesustaining planes on the line 1010 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is'a cross section of the same on the line 1l-1l of Fig. 4:

The fuselage of the toy aeroplane is in the form of a hollow body 10 made of stiff paper, light cardboard, sheet metal'or similar material and is preferably in the form of a trough, and the body 10 is covered at the front by a cover 11 rigidly fastened at the sides by straps 12 and nails or screws 13 to the sides of the body 10. The rear portion of the body 10 is covered by a removable cover 14 to permit of gaining access to the interior of the body 10 whenever it is desired to do so. The covers 11 and 14 are likewise made of light cardboard or other material. The sides of the cover 14 are provided with depending lugs 15 engaging the inner sides of the body 10 and similar lugs 16 project upwardly from the inner faces of the sides A of the body 10 and engage the inner faces of -the cover 14 to securely hold the cover14 against accidental detachment. The rear end of the cover 14 is provided w'ith'lugs 17 which extend into a pocket 18 formed between the rear top portion 19 of the body 10 and a reinforcing member 20 preferably made of wood. This reinforcing member 20. is fastened to the under side of the top portion 19 which is an integral part of the I rear portion of the body 10. The top portion 19 and the reinforcing member 20 are slotted lengthwise for the passage of the lower front portion of a vertically disposed rudder 21 havin a cut-out portion 22 between its ends to provide lugs 23 and 24 which ngage in slots formed in a beam 25 extending lon 'tudinally within the body 10. The rear on rear end of the bottom of the body 10 while the forward end of this beam 25 is provided with a bracket 26 secured to the front end 27 of the body 10. By the arrangement de-1 scribed the cover 14 can be readily removed 10 by sliding it;a short d1s-- from the bod tance forward to disengage the lugs 17 from the pocket 18 and to then lift the cover off the body 10. An opening 28 is left between the covers 11 and 14 to permit of mounting of. the beam 25 is secured to the.

the toy figure of a pilot (not shown) in the body 10 whenever it is desired to do so. The rear end of the body 10 is provided with a horizontally disposed elevating plane having its middle portion secured to the under side of the reinforcing member 20, and the said middle portion extends through the opening 22 in the rudder 21 and the elevating plane 30 extends also through the sides of the body 10 beyond the rudder 21, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 8.

The toy aeroplane is provided with a bottom elevatin plane 40 and atop elevating plane 41, of which the bottom elevating plane 40 extends transversely through the sides of the body 10 in unbroken'continuity while the top elevating plane 41 is disposed above the cover 11 of the body 10. Each of the wings 40 and 41 is constructed as follows: A bar 42, preferably of wood, is provided with tapering ends 43 and from this bar 42 extend rearwardly tapering ribs 44 spaced apart. The bar 42 and the ribs 44 form a skeleton framework on which are se cured the top and bottom front plates .45-

and 46, preferably made of cardboard, and

glued or otherwise secured to the said bar 42 and the ribs 44. As the plates 45 and 46 follow the shape of'the bar 42 and the ribs 44 their outer ends and rear edges meet and are fastened together by glue or other,ad

hesive material thereby providing a plane having a series of air chambers.

The to and bottom planes and 41 are 1 connecte with each other by posts 50, preft erably made of wood, and provided at their lower and upper ends with metal ferrules 51 and 52, of which the ferrules 51 are seated.

on the upper plate of the plane 40 while the ferrules 52 abut against the under side .of the plates 46 ofthe upper lifting plane 41. The ferrules 51 and 52 engage the said plates opposite the ribs 44, and screws 55 or similar fastening devices pass through the plates 45 and 46 and the ribs 44 into the posts 50 thus securely fastening the latter in position on the 'sustaining'planes 40'and 41.

' t will be noticed that by this arrangement the sustaining planes 40 and 41 are firmly connected with each other, In practice, the posts 50 are preferably two in number for each'corresponding pair of ribs 44 ofthe bottom and top sustaining planes 40 and 41,

and two pairs of these posts 50 extend through the top 11 into the body 10 at the inner faces of the sides of the body (see Figs. 1 and The nails or screws 13, previously mentioned engage these posts 50 thus reinforcing the sides of the body '10 and adding to the general rigidity of the body and the sustaining planes. It is understood that by makingthe lower sustaining plane 40 of unbroken continuity and extending the same through the body 10 at the sides thereof additional rigidity is had.

The rear outer portions of the top sustaining'plane 41 are in the form of ailerons 60 hinged at their forward edges at 61 to swing up and down, and the said ailerons 60 are provided with forwardly extending arms 62 connected by converging links 63 With the opposite sides of a stabilizing weight 64 suspended by a link 65 from the beam 25. By the arrangement described, the weight 64 swings sidewise according to the tilting of the. body 10 to cause the ailerons 61 to correspondingly swin downward or upward with a view to maintain the equilibrium of the aeroplanewhile in flight. It is understood that the links 63 extend through openings 66'formed'in the sides of the body 10,

as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Ailerons 70 are arranged on the rear outer portions of the lower sustaining plane 40 'and are hinged at 71 to the said plane 40 to swing up and down in unison with the ailerons 60. For this purpose the ailerons 7 0 are connected by links 7 2 with the ailerons 60.

In order to propel the aeroplane, use is made of a propeller 80 'secured'on a propeller shaft 81 journaled in a suitable bearing 82, preferably in the form of a ball bearing, attached to the front end 27 of the body 10, the

said shaft 81 also having a bearing in the bracket 26. The inner end of the shaft 81 terminates in a hook 83 engaged by the forward end of a series of rubber bands 84 at-- The motor formed of the rubber bands a shown in Figs'l and 3 is of usual construction but I prefer the motor illustrated in Fig. 5.v In this case the hook 83 of the propeller shaft 81 is engaged by the forward end ,of a rubber band 90 engaging at its rear end a loop 91 formed on one end of a drum '92 mounted to turn on a drum shaft 93 aton the drum shaft 97 attached to the bracket 94. The drum 96 is provided with a 100 98 engaged by the rearend of a second ru ber On the drum 92 winds and unwinds band 99 attached at its forward end to a a hook 100 formed'on a rod 101 attached to the bracket 26. By reference to Fig. 5 it will be noticed that the drum shafts 93 and 97 are provided with heads to hold the drums 92 and 96 in position on the said drum shafts 93 and 97 when the bands 90 and 99 are under tension. It will be noticed that when the propeller 80 is turned by hand its shaft 81 twists the rubber band 90 and the latter turns the drum 92 to win up the flexible connection 95. The flexib e connection 95 now unwindsfrom the drum 96 and consequently rotates the latter whereby the rubber band 99 is twisted in unison with the rubber band 90. Thus bothrubber bands 90 and 99 are put under tension simultaneously, and when the wheel 80 is released it is turned in the opposite direction by the combined effort of both twisted rubber bands 90 and 99. By forming the motor of a plu rality of individual rubber bands as described considerable ower can be stored up to maintain the aeroplane in flight for a considerable length of time.

Running wheels 110 for supporting the aeroplane while on the ground are mounted to turn on an axle 111 journaled in vertical elongated bearings 112 formed on brackets 113 having diverging arms 11 1 and 115, of which the forwardly and upwardly extending arms 114 are fastened to the under side of the sustaining plane at the bar 42, while the rearwardly and upwardly extendmg arms 115 pass through the sustaining plane 10 and are attached to the sides of the ody 10 at the rear posts 50 passing throu h the body 10, as previously explained. y

i the arrangement described the brackets 113 ,are securely fastened in position. Springs 120 connect the axle 111 with the lower ends ,of the bearings 113 to normally hold the axle in the lowermost portions of the bearings 112 but to allow the axle to move upward n the said bearings on the aeroplane ali hting on the floor, ground or other sur ace thus preventing undue shock to the body and the parts mounted thereon. A dra 130 is pivoted at 131 near the rear end 0 the beam 25 and this dra extends through an opening 132 formed in the bottom of thebody 10. The upper end of the drag 130 is pressed on by a spring 133, preferably in the ormv of a rubber band attached to the beam 25 thus mounting the drag yieldingly to prevent undue shock to the aeroplane when aliqghting on the floor or other surface.

he propeller 80 and the traction wheels 110 are referably made of pressed paper to render t ese parts as light as possible and at the same time sufficiently strong and durable.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and-desire to secure by Let- Y said front bar and the front bar being tapered at the ends and the ters Patent:---- 1" 1. In a toy aeroplane hav' a lifting plane, compmsing a front bar, ribs extend.- ing rearwardly from the said front bar, and top and bottom plane, plates attached to the said ribs the said body,

tened together to provide air chambers within the plane.

" 2. In a toy aeroplane, a hollow body having a bottom section, a top section detachably fastened to thebottom section and a beam extending lengthwise and approxi- 'mately centrally in the said bottom section from the front end to the rear end of the body, a bracket at the front end of the beam, a propeller shaft journaled in the said bracket and extending through the front end of the body, a propeller wheel. on the outer end of the said shaft, and a spring motor connected with the inner end of the said propeller shaft.

3. In a toy aeroplane, a hollow body havin a bottom section, a top section detachab y fastened to the bottom section and a beam extending len hwise and appro x1 mately centrally in t e said bottom section from the front end to the rear end of the a bracket at the front end of the beam, a propeller shaft journaled in the said bracket and "extending through the front end of the body, a'propeller wheel on the outer end of the said shaft, a rubber band attached at its front end to the inner end of the said propeller shaft, a drum journaled on the rear end of the beam and to which the.

end on the said bracket, a second drum journaled on the rear end of the beam, the rear end of the said second rubber band bein attached to the saidsecond drum, and a exiv ble connection between the said drums.

4. In a toy aeroplane, a propeller having a shaft, a rubber band attached at one on tothe said shaft, a drum attached to the other end of the said rubber band, a second rubber band fixed at one. end, a second drum attached to the other end of the said second rubber band, and a flexible connection between the said drums.

5,111 a toy aeroplane, a hollow body, a.

beam extendlng lengthwise in the said body, a reinforcing member at the rear end of the .bod directly under the rear end of the top of t e body, and a rudder extending throug' the top of the body and secured in the said beam and the said reinforcing member.

- 6. In a toy aeroplane, a hollow body, a

beam extending lengthwise in the said body,

a reinforcing member at the rear end of the body directly under the rear end of the to of the body, and a vertically disposed ru der having a portion cut out at the lower portion intermediate the ends, the said beam and reinforcing member having slots ongaged by the lower portion ofthe rudder.

. In a toy aeroplane a hollow body, a

beam extending lengthwise in the said body, a reinforcingmember at the rear end ofthe 'body directly under the rear end of the top of. the body, a vertically disposed rudder 5 having a portion cut out at the lower portion intermediate the ends the said beam and reinforcing member having slots engaged by the lower portion of the rudda', and a horizontal elevating plane having its middle portion extending through the said cut-out portion of the rudder, the said middle portion of the elevating plane being attached to the "said reinforci member.

EDWXiD F. LONERGAN., 

